It was my impression a DA might talk with a victim's family but the choice to pursue the DP was the DA's, not the family's. The punishment applied in a criminal case, whatever it is, is applied on behalf of the state or society, not on behalf of the family.
MOO journalist are the people's detectives. Not perfect by any means, but if allowed all power conducts it's agenda in secrecy.
Reposting this from a few weeks ago, which is all I've seen in MSM about the Goncalves and Mogen families re the death penalty. I think there may be some wording that could be misleading, such as "seek", but the thrust is the same, IMO. I think they just want to make their wishes known and go on the record, not that they don't trust the prosecutor. JMO.
Good points and I agree. It amounts to a delay in revealing actual content. The trial will be reported. It makes sense to me but naturally certain sectors of the media are upset about it. Moo
"As much as I would like to see the trial, I'm also concerned the judge may lose his mind, knowing that everyone is watching and second-guessing his decisions. Everyone's mileage may vary"
I think media literacy is an important concept, on a par with critical thinking/evaluation. It's just a shame and very tiring to always be on the alert for what is and is not accurate reporting. The way I deal with this at present as regards this case is to compare actual court docs with how various outlets report on them. But this is almost a full time job in my leisure time! Like most people, Imo, I just want accurate, balanced reporting without having to resort to constant double checking, but it's hard to know when to apply the grain of salt principle or not with some media. Moo
latahcountyid.gov
I like the theory!
I agree with everything you said. I was thinking of Judge Ito and Judge Perry, both of whom were later determined to have made some poor decisions. Maybe they would have made those same mistakes under normal circumstances, although we'll never know, but they were later blamed on the pressure of having the trials televised. I did worry about the Murtaugh trial, which thankfully ended well. I did not follow the Stauch trial. My fingers are firmly crossed that this trial will be more Murtaugh than Simpson or Anthony.
They have not filed yet, they simply have no reason to file until they know the prosecutor's decision. To me, it makes no sense to file the Motion before knowing the decision. If they file the Motion and then the prosecutor seeks the DP, the Motion would have to be dismissed which seems like a waste of time.
The families will hear his decision before it hits the media, so what I believe is if we do not hear of the prosecutor's decision but find out the 2 families filed the Motion, then we know the prosecutor refused to file for the DP.
Right now, we have 2 families that want the DP and 1 that wants LWOP. We don't know what Ethan's family wants but if they do want the DP then I think the prosecutor will go for it.
But what if Ethan's family wants LWOP? Then you have 2 for the DP and 2 against it. WOW!
The elected lead Prosecutor, Bill Thompson, has 60 days from Kohberger’s plea to make a determination.
Bill Thompson
View attachment 427227
The elected Prosecuting Attorney defends or prosecutes actions, applications, or motions in the District Court or Magistrate's division in which the People, the State or the County is a party. Along with the Sheriff, the Prosecutor functions as the chief law enforcement officer in Latah County. The Prosecuting Attorney is also the legal counsel for the Board of County Commissioners, as well as other elected officials and appointed boards and commissions of the county.
Prosecuting Attorney
Latah County is located in the northern Idaho panhandle; to the immediate west lies Whitman County, Washington. These counties are referred to as The Palouse, which produces a large share of the wheat, lentils, peas, oats and barley in the United States. The Palouse is home to two major...
If he's guilty, then yes, but I wasn't really talking about the affect of a plea deal on society, but on whether it would make sense for this particular defendant should agree to plead guilty in exchange for avoiding the DP - for his own sake. (if that's offered).
They're both right. The gag order is necessary to protect BK's right to a fair trial because there isn't quality information. The problem is that there are few, if any news outlets (MSM OR SM) that provide quality, strictly factual information. I'd be all for lifting the order if media outlets were held accountable for mixing their opinions in with fact. Many people cannot tell fact from opinion. The number of adult people who quote, "it was on TikTok" as evidence, proves that.
Media: Gag order leads to ‘rampant speculation’ in Kohberger case
The media coalition urging Latah County 2nd District Court to end a gag order in the Bryan Kohberger case filed another motion arguing it creates “a vacuum for rampant speculationdnews.com
According to the gag order, as well as Kohberger’s attorneys, it is necessary to protect Kohberger’s right to a fair trial.
“If anything, the Gag Order prejudices Mr. Kohberger by depriving the public of quality information, creating a vacuum for rampant speculation online”
I teach HS to some incredibly bright students. We make them use sources. We teach them how to evaluate those sources. They know how to do that and some do it well--for formal writing. Then revert right back to SM for personal information. I can't tell you the number of times I've heard, "but it was on TikTok" with conviction as to the information's veracity even when I have evidence to the contrary.
Oh I see @maskedwoman, sorry I misunderstood! Yes, that is something to consider with televised trials. I think there should be very strict rules of protocol around them. I thought the Murdaugh and L.Stauch trial were both handled very well, the court seemed toi be well on top of things. So I hope lessons are being learn't from previous mistakes. I agree that no judge, jury or any court officials should be placed in situations where they feel under pressure. Moo
